The BRICS TimesPakistan falsely claimed India withdrew from an Oxford Union debate. Advocate Sai Deepak revealed the debate was actually cancelled because the Pakistani team was unavailable at the last minute.
India has once again exposed Pakistan’s fabrications. This recent incident involves the Oxford Union debate. Pakistan alleged that India pulled out of the event. However, Senior Advocate Sai Deepak clarified that the Pakistani accusations are absolutely false.
Pakistan Claims ‘Walkover’ Victory
The debate was scheduled for Thursday at the Oxford Union. The Pakistan High Commission tweeted beforehand. They claimed the Indian speakers withdrew at the final moment. Therefore, Pakistan received a ‘walkover’ victory, they stated. The debate topic, supported by Pakistan, was: “India’s Pakistan policy is merely populism disguised as security policy.”
The Pakistani team included Hina Rabbani Khar. Also on the team were London’s Pakistani Ambassador, Muhammad Faisal. Former General Zubair Mahmood Hayat was also a speaker. Pakistan claimed the Indian team had General MM Naravane, Subramanian Swamy, and Sachin Pilot. They asserted these Indian members had withdrawn from the debate. The reality, however, was quite different.
Sai Deepak Refutes Pakistani Assertions
Senior Advocate Sai Deepak was a confirmed speaker for the Indian side. He firmly refuted Pakistan’s claims. Deepak released an email from the Oxford Union. This email confirmed his presence for the November 27 event. Deepak explained that the Union later mentioned Naravane and Swamy were unavailable. They asked for suggestions for alternative names.
Deepak further mentioned that the Union contacted Suhel Seth and Priyanka Chaturvedi. Both declined due to the extremely short notice. Priyanka Chaturvedi also publicly confirmed this. She said the Union spoke to her in July. But they abruptly requested confirmation on November 25. This was simply not possible.
Last-Minute Cancellation by Oxford Union
Despite these issues, Sai Deepak still traveled to the UK. He assembled a local team with Manu Khajuria and P.T. Satish. Just three hours before the debate, the Oxford Union called. They informed him that the Pakistani team had failed to arrive in the UK. Consequently, the debate was cancelled.
Sai Deepak expressed his strong displeasure at this inconsistent and poor management. It was later discovered that the organizer was Musa Harraj. Musa is the son of Pakistan’s Minister for Defence Production, Muhammad Razza Hayat Harraj. Deepak alleged that the Pakistani team had indeed reached the UK. They were actually staying at a hotel in Oxford.
A Direct Challenge to Pakistan
Deepak openly challenged the Pakistani team. He asked them to come forward and debate if they were present in Oxford. “Why is the Pakistani team hiding, like their terrorists hide?” he questioned. “Let’s have a live debate, the world will watch.” The Pakistan High Commission still maintains its false claim. They continue to assert that India backed out of the debate. They have no proof for their serious accusation.
